Metric Doubles

The Death Ride. Just the name conjures images of a gruelling ordeal undertaken by grimacing, surely-mad souls suffering under scorching heat over torturous terrain. With 129 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing over 5 passes, it is masochistic for sure. And yet, I had wanted to do this famed ride for the last 3 years, but was denied entry each time due to signing up too late. This includes 2001, in which 2500 spots for the event sold out in 48 hours, underscoring its immense popularity belying its brutal reputation. Continue reading »

“If the weather is anything like last year,” wrote a friend who was also riding the Tierra Bella, “I will forfeit my $26 registration and stay home!” While I certainly wasn’t going to bail due to the weather conditions, I definitely shared the desire to have a nice-weather day in Gilroy. So during the preceding weeks I was checking the weather forecast daily: which would alternate from partly cloudy, to rain, showers, cloudy, rain, showers, just cloudy… what would it be! I would only find out for sure the morning I awoke, at 5:00am no less… Continue reading »